EQUESTRIANISM: Hough-on-the-Hill riding club wins big at national championships

Hayley and Laura Ensor

A local riding club for the disabled is celebrating after a successful weekend at the RDA National Championship.

Based in Hough-on-the-Hill, seven members of the Kesteven Rideability team, along with three ponies entered the competition. They were accompanied by several other members of the group who went along in support.

Jodie and Kayleigh Hughes

Taking place from July 17 to 19 and held at Hartpury College in Gloucestershire, the group took part in a number of events including the Countryside Challenge and the Led Dressage, often scoring highly, with victories for some riders too.

This was the case for sisters Hayley and Laura Ensor who were the first to compete on the Friday. Competing in the Countryside Challenge, an event involving tasks such as riding around obstacles you might find out in the country, it was in this event that the sisters finished first and second respectively.

The news only got better for Hayley who, on the Sunday, found out that she had received the highest score all weekend. Achieving 88 per cent, Hayley placed higher than 58 other riders at the contest.

Moving on, the pairing then competed in a led dressage event, ending with the duo taking yet another one-two finish.

Tracy Yarnell, Bradley Dexter and Emily Johnson

After that, it was on to the Saturday of the competition, where Tracy Yarnell and Bradley Dexter took part in the dressage. Both finished with respectable scores, with Tracy ending up in fourth place in her class and Bradley with a seventh place in his.

In the Freestyle Dressage, routines were performed on horseback to the rhythm of one or more songs. Performing to Genesis, Tracy put in a sterling effort, claiming a first place for her performance.

Bradley’s own entry to the songs ‘Happy’ by Pharrell Williams and ‘Uptown Funk’ by Mark Ronson and Bruno Mars and saw him take away a second place too.

The final day saw sisters Jodie and Kayleigh Hughes take on some events. In the morning, the pair faced the Countryside Challenge, with two fantastic performances seeing Jodie finish second and Kayleigh win the Senior Class.

Later in the day came the dressage test, an event in which Kayleigh was able to add another rosette to her collection, finishing second overall.

Both Emily Johnson and Bradley Dexter were both also successful in Dressage Anywhere, with both of them taking a first place finish. This was a national competition in which riders perform a set of dressage tests in their own arena whilst being filmed. These were then sent off for judging, with the results posted online.

Kesteven Rideability were also successful as a club too, taking first place in the musical ride. Filmed earlier in the year, riders and ponies used their skills to tell the story of the Ugly Duckling.